Am Rhein

Kate Upton Says She Was “Pushed” to Keep Paul Marciano Story Quiet

After first accusing the GUESS founder of sexual harassment via social media, then in an interview with TIME, the 25-year-old supermodel was interviewed on ABC’s Good Morning America Friday. During a lingerie shoot when she was 18 years old, Upton claimed Marciano grabbed her breasts. “After I pushed him away he said, I’m making sure they’re real,” she previously told TIME, alleging that he responded by grabbing the back of her head so she could not move, then began kissing her face and neck. Upton claimed she was harassed and insulted in subsequent shoots, and claimed he once called her a “fat pig.” A photographer who worked with Upton a few of the shoots, Yu Tsai, corroborated her claims to both ABC News and TIME.

Marciano, meanwhile, has denied all of Upton’s claims, calling them “preposterous.” He also maintained that he never “touched her inappropriately.” Although Marciano said he supports the #MeToo Movement, and has told GUESS’ board of directors that he is in favor of an impartial investigation, he also will not allow Upton “to defame me and tarnish my reputation.”

Speaking to Robert Roberts Friday, Upton said, “I’m doing good. I’m actually really excited about sharing my movement. As soon as I did my article with TIME I felt a sense of relief, because it’s a new climate. Women are coming together and you’re able to have this platform to share your story and create real change for other women, for this industry—for the better.”